A portrait of Moldova in spring
Year 14, No. 11
“Live life without regrets” sounds like a motivational meme that would see a rosy-cheeked child sitting in front of an ice cream sundae as big as him.
Clearly it’s an overused phrase, but at the same time holds some modicum of truth. I however find that attempting less regrets means not setting goals that are too lofty. This is admittedly something of a lofty goal in and of itself that’s best solved via wine.
Beyond the, “finish this newsletter by the end of the day” kind of goals, I don’t like to set anything else that’s too set in stone, because if I don’t accomplish it, regret will inevitably sit in. Thus, a nebulous, nice-to-have kind of goal I’ve given myself is that I try to visit a new country each year.
Admittedly, if I were to visit all the remaining countries in the world (again, a lofty, regret-prone goal), I’d need to visit about 3-4 a year. Thus, one a year is a pretty nice, GenX “slacker” pace that, while not a 30kg ice cream sundae, is still quite delicious when achieved.
This year, it seems that my new country has been Moldova, where I spent a week to gather research for this recent report on the wines and overall scene in this oddly-landlocked country wedged between Romania and Ukraine.
But beyond the wines was getting to enjoy a week in a Central/Eastern European country in the later spring, which is one of my favorite kinds of trips.
One positive aspect of Communism was that outdoor spaces in countries such as these are plentiful, leafy, and full of life. Whether it’s Chișinau, Kyiv, Zagreb, Tbilisi, or many others, it’s a fine season of the year to be in the capitals and the fact they all produce wine is an added bonus.
Everything that’s glorious about spring in this situation is however the inverse as to everything that’s… “tricky” about a place like Dubrovnik in the summer. This is why you should also read about how to go there and yet get, Beyond Dubrovnik, exploring the wonderful areas that are around the “Pearl of the Adriatic”, but without all the Game of Thrones tours getting in your way.
And lastly, in case you missed it, have a read about Trash Natural (*), a very popular piece that takes a look at the good and the trash when it comes to “natural” wines.
As a bit of housecleaning, we go through the emails subscribed to the newsletter from time to time, purging those that are clearly dead to keep an active and engaged list of the 5,000+ readers here. It is however an automated system for the purges and mistakes can happen. If you find that 2-3 weeks have passed and this fine missive has not arrived to your inbox, have a look to make sure you’re still subscribed. Also, look in your Spam as some email providers are a tad overzealous in this department.
Drink well, be well.
-Miquel
(*) Free to read
The Featured Report
Moldova 2024
An interesting country that straddles many regions but at the same time has a culture, history, and winemaking style all its own. I was fortunate enough to spend a week there last month and this is an account of that journey.
And now this
There are fine wines to found everywhere and this gem of the Clos de Tourelles from the Famille Perrin in Gigondas is no exception, especially as it keeps getting better year after year.
Rioja has decided to keep their lower harvest yields (*) from 2023, which is a wise decision as, like many regions in Europe, they’re still dealing with surplus wines.
We also take a look at Hispano-Suizas who somehow make wine with their feet in three different bases as they’re in three different DOs of València.
And lastly, you life simply isn’t complete if you don’t learn about Spicy Danes & Dollycetto. (*)